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Iconic jade boulder back on display in Cache Creek

Jade boulder back in place

An iconic 3,000-pound jade boulder is now back on display in front of a gift shop in Cache Creek.

The boulder made provincial headlines when it was stolen from outside Cariboo Jade & Gifts shortly before last Christmas.

"At first, we weren't sure we were going to put it back (on display)," store manager Heidi Roy told CTV News Vancouver. "We were sort of tainted by the whole thing and we thought, 'You know, how can we prevent it from being stolen again?' It was concreted in there."

The landmark of sorts for the community was stolen with an excavator overnight, and while the thieves were caught on camera, no charges have been laid.

Amid significant news coverage, the rock was dumped in a ditch. Police said the boulder is worth $50,000 to the right person.

"We weren't going to bother putting it back, but so many people have been asking and coming in wanting to see it that we thought, 'Well, how can we do something that's a compromise?'" Roy told CTV.

"That's when we decided to try to put it inside, which was easier said than done because it weighs 3,000 pounds," she added. "We had to have the floor checked out to see if it could hold it and figure out the logistics of moving it, which was quite an ordeal.”

with files from CTV Vancouver



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